simrak



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

s. s. SIMRAK. GAS ENGINE. No, 598,025. Patented Jan 25,1898.-

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INVENTOR WITNESSES (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2-

S. S. SIMRAK.

WITNESSES of said engine.

, UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE,

SAMUEL S. SIMRAK, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT- R. HERMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,025, dated January 25, 1898.

Application filed June 22, 1896. Serial No. 596,505. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. SIMRAK, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Franciscoand State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in explosiveigas or gasolene engines.

The invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, all of which will be hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the engine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged detail side elevation of the upper portion of the same. Fig. 3 represents a top plan view Fig. 4, represents a detail central vertical section through the combustion-chambein Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section through the same; and Fig. 6 represents a detail sideelevatiou oil the upper portion of the engine, taken on a line at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2.

A in the drawings represents the frame of the engine, which supports the main shaft R,

belt-wheel X, vertical shaft F, and cylinderB.

C is the combustion-chamber, attached to the upper end of the cylinder 13 in any suitable manner and containing the admission and exhaust valves G and C respectively, and the electric igniting device, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

D is the cap for the combustion-chamber C. It is made hollow, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the heat to which it is subjected when the engine is running will be imparted to the air which is drawn through it from the external atmosphere to forma part of the explosive mixture, as willbe hereinafter more full y explained. This cap is held in position on the combustion-chamber by suitable bolts and is provided with a removable plug T, which when removed leaves that portion of the combustion-chamber occupied by the sparking electrodes exposed to view. The passage formed in the said cap D communi- Gates at oneend with the atmosphere without by means of an opening Q and at its opposite end with a pipe J, that is connected with the inlet to the combustion-chamber through a passage 0 and with the source of supply by a pipe W, governed by a valve M, having a pendent stem m. The valve 0 is seated over the discharge-port of this passage 0 and is provided with a pendent stem V. This stem in turn is provided with an adjustable laterallyextending arm K, by means of which the valve M is lifted off its seat to admit the combined supply of liquid hydrocarbon and air into the combustion-chamber. The arm K is adapted to normally engage the lower end of the rod m and raise the valve M simultaneously with the valve 0, so that the fresh supply of hydrocarbon for the combustion-chamber will have free passage to the same. This simultaneous action of valves 0 and M only takes place when the engine is running normal. lVhen the action becomes too rapid, the rod K is moved horizontally to one side out of the same vertical plane with the rod m, so as not to engage and operate the latter by the forked end g of a-pivoteddouble'bell-cranl; lever G. The lower arm 9 of this lever is pivoted at H to the frame, and the horizontal arm g is engaged at its outer end g by a flanged sleeve S, loosely mounted on the shaft F and raised .by the action of the ball-governor, mounted below the same. A spring 9 is secured at one end to the arm g and at the other to a rod 9 rigid on the pivot-rod H. The said shaft F is journaled in suitable boxes upon the frame and is so geared to the shaft R as to revolve once to every two revolutions of the latter.

It will be observed from the above that should the engine reach an abnormal speed the governor would raise the sleeve S, which would operate the lever G to move the rod K out of aliuement with the stem on, so that upon the upward movement of the said rod the valve M would not be operated, and thus the cylinder would receive no charge and the tel-nately raised off their seats by a lever L, pivoted to the cylinder at y, so that its free ends are adapted to alternately engage the stems V and V, respectively, and raise the same as said lever is rocked upon its pivot. This rocking is caused by a roller I, mounted on one arm of said lever and engaging a camgroove p, formed by oppositely-facingcams P P, rigidly mounted upon the sh aft'F.

The sparking in the combustion-chamber C for exploding the liquid hydrocarbon is pro-' cillating electrode 13 is provided upon its inner end with a contact-point n andis mounted upon a vertical shaft Z), which passes upward and out of the cap 6. A spring-lever c is rigidly secured to the protruding end of the shaft 1) bya clamping block b. This lever is adapted to be engaged at its free end by a cam f, mounted on shaft F, whereby said lever is oscillated with a snapping action to move the electrode with a similar action and cause it to make and rapidly break contact with the electrode d with the resulting spark. The electrode 19 is held normally out of contact with the electrode d by a spring 71, secured to the block b and bearing with its free end upon the side of the chamber (1..

The piece d, as before described, is insulated from all other parts by the insulating material m and is connected to one wire leading from an electric circuit, while the otherwire from the circuit is connected to the shaft b. In order that the spark may be formed with certainty,it is necessary that the contacting surfaces of the electrodes 19 and cl be kept clean. To effect this, the piece cl is so constructed that by loosening the binding-nut t and turning the thumb-wheel a the cylindrical electrode d can be revolved within the insulator, and while such revolution is in progress the contact-piece n is caused to rub on the piece (I by pressing on the spring-lever c. This abrasion or rubbing of the electrodesurfaces effectually cleans them. This operation may be performed readily at any time before the engine is started and'the certain operation of the sparking mechanism thus assured.

The lever L is so constructed that its ends E and O are not always in contact with the stems V and V of the valves, and there is a certain period of time during the cycle of operations when the lever L remains without motion, as when the charge is being compressed, ignited, and expanded. The construction is such that when the free ends E and 0 do come into contact with the stems of the valves itwill be with a rapid motion, so that the valves may be opened or closed quickly.

Experience, has shown that gasodene or other hydrocarbon may be used in a motor of proper design without the necessity producing a gas or vapor.

By the use of my improved construction and arrangement it is not necessary to em ploy a carbureter, but the engine as herein constructed can be operated by the introduction of the hydrocarbon in liquid form in quantity that is automatically regulated by the power developed.

If it is desired to employ illuminating or other gas in place of hydrocarbon, it is only necessary to provide an admission-valve of larger area.

This engine is single-acting, and its crankshaft makes two revolutions to one revolution of the shaft operating the valve mechanism. The forward motion of the piston is caused by the explosion of the inclosed mixture. On the upward stroke of the piston the products of combustion are expelled, and on the following downstroke a fresh supply of the explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinder and then compressed on the upward motion of the piston and ignited when the piston has regained its uppermost posit-ion.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Inan explosive-gas or gasolene engine, the combination witha cylinder and piston, of valves arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the cylinder, covering respectively an inlet and an exhaust from said cylinder, a semicircular rocking lever, pivotally mounted upon the side of the cylinder, the ends being adapted to extend around the cylinder and beneath the valves whereby they may be raised alternately, and a cam directly connecting said lever with a moving part of the engine, substantially as described.

2. In an explosive gas or gasolene engine, the combination with a cylinder, and piston, of valves arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the cylinder, covering respectively an inlet and an exhaust of said cylinder, a pivoted lever adapted to extend half-way around the cylinder and having a rocking movement longitudinally'of said cylinder, its ends extending under the valves, for alternately lifting them, and a closed cam connected to the moving parts of the engine, and directly engaging the rocking lever between one. end and its pivoted point for positively oscillating the same, substantially as described.

3. In an explosive gas or gasolene engine, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of valves covering respectively an inlet and an exhaust from said cylinder, a rocking lever for operating said valves, an auxiliary inlet-valve adapted to be operated by a projection or arm on the main inlet-valve, abellcrank lever provided with a guiding end directly engaging said arm for moving it out of the position for engagement with said auxiliary valve, and a governor for operating said bell-crank lever when the enginelreaches an abnormal speed so that the auxiliary valve will not beopened to supply the cylinder until the engine has regained its normal speed, substantially as described.

at. In an explosive gas or gasolene engine, the combination with a cylinder and piston, of inlet and exhaust valves for said cylinder, an auxiliary inlet-valve, a lever for operating all of said valves, an independent pivoted bell-crank lever for throwing said means out of operative position as far as the auxiliary valve .is concerned and a governor ,for operating said bell-crank lever, substantially as described.

5. In an explosive gas orgasolene engine, the combination with a cylinder and com bustion' chamber, of a removable hollow cap adapted to close the upper end of said combustion-chamber, the hollow portion being open directly to the atmosphere at one end and connected with-the combustion-chamber at the other by means of a pipe, provided with ahydrocarbon-inlet and through which the eXt-ern al air for the explosive mixture is drawn into the combustionchamber and thereby heated before coming into contact with the hydrocarbon, substantially as described.

6. In an explosive gas or gasolene engine, the combination with a cylinder and a combustion-chamber, of an electric igniting device comprising a stationary electrode and an oscillating electrode, the said oscillating electrode having one of its ends extending outside of the combustion-chamber proper and secured to a shaft journaled exteriorly of the said cylinder, a clamping-block secured to the said shaft, a spring-lever secured to the said clamping-block, a cam mounted upon a working part of the engine and adapted to strike the said spring-lever whereby the oscillating electrode is adapted to be actuated with a snapping movement and a spring secured to the clamping-block and adapted to engage the exterior Wall of the combustionchamber for holding the oscillating electrode normally away from the stationary electrode, substantially as described.

'7. In an explosive gas or gasolene engine the combination with a cylinder and combustion chamber, inlet and exhaust valves, a pivoted lever for actuating said valves alternatel y, a cam engaging said lever directly for operating the same, sparking devices in the combus tion-chamber, an auxiliary inlet-valve governing the supply of hydrocarbon, a bellcrank lever entirely independent of the valveactuating lever pivotally mounted upon said engine for controlling the supply and consequently the speed of the engine andagovernor connected to the engine and said bellcrank lever for operating the latter, substantially as described.

A 8. In an explosive gas or gasolene engine the combination with a cylinder and piston, of valves covering respectively an inlet and an exhaust from said cylinder, a closed cam Witnesses:

R. HERMAN, 7 LEE D. CRAIG.

connected to the moving parts of the engine, 

